Entering a Magic Competition is scary. Imagine having to perform your own creations in front of hundreds of other magicians. If that weren’t enough stress, you also are competing against other highly-motivated magicians.
Let’s Do It
In my twenties, I competed often at the national and international levels. My goal wasn’t necessarily to win, as that was out of my control. I used the competitions as vehicles to improve my magic and perform at a higher level than local magicians. Often, I would prepare the magic a year before the competition was held. There were props to build, a theme to advance and lots and lots of practice and rehearsal.
Magic Competition Stress
I recall, at one of my first competitions in Montreal, that I barely slept the night before, because I was so nervous. My roommate stayed up late jamming with other night-owl magicians. He didn’t get to bed early. Had I not already been awake, I would have been woken. On top of that, there were several junior hockey teams staying at the hotel while they were at a tournament. Let’s just say, they weren’t too quiet in the hallways that evening.
My First Magic Competition Award!
For this competition, in the up close category, each performer would repeat his or her act three times, in three separate rooms, for three groups of about 150 magicians each. As it was in Montreal, some of my English script didn’t really hit the mark. I was disappointed after the first room. In the second room, I was more relaxed and the performance was better. By the time I got to the third room, I wasn’t really thinking about winning. I just went out and gave a really good performance. That room also seemed to have mostly English-speaking magicians and that really helped to improve the response.
Proud of Myself
Although I didn’t win the competition in up close magic, I did win one award that was given to a performer in either the up close category or the stage category. It was the Tom Auburn award. This memorial trophy was given in honour of Tom Auburn, who was a very well-respected Montreal, professional magician. That was the first of the trophies I won during my competition years.
A Different Kind of Winning
I always felt, that every competitor was a winner. For me, the moment I decided to compete, I knew that, win or lose, I would become a better magician as a result of the effort I put into the act. Becoming a better magician is still one of my goals, even today, after having performed for so many years.